REMEMBER

In the crazy schedule of our lives, sometimes we NEED to take a moment and take a deep breath and remember the past. Our past is part of our present! The good and the bad, the happy and the sad....it all combines to make us who we are. If we let Him, God takes all of it and makes our lives into something beautiful and precious.
On my dresser, I have a picture of my grandparents. In this photo, my grandfather was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The look on his face is a little uncertain, but my brave grandmother is holding his arm as if to help him and maybe protect him. When the photo was taken, we didn't realize that he was sick. My grandmother took such good care of him and protected him and gave him dignity.  She didn't tell anyone until his disease progressed and we needed to know.
Each time I look at that photo, I feel a little emotional and think about my grandparents the way I remember them when  I was a little girl. Their life was not an easy one. They went through the depression and lost a child. But, I choose to remember so many sweet things about them. My grandmother always had a candy dish filled with silver-wrapped Hershey's kisses. They were her trademark. She called us honey and my grandfather would wrap his long, lanky arms around us and give us a rough hug. They were sweet and I miss them in my life. I would love for them to know my children as they are now.

When I started this piece of artwork, I had a general idea of how I wanted it to look, but then, as usual, my heart took over and it became a statement and not just a piece of art. I hope it speaks to you and encourages you to take time in your busy world to remember the good memories from your past and know that TODAY you are creating new ones!